


How James Potter Learned to Love Telly, Built a TARDIS and Won Lily Evans

by Emcee



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Developing Relationship, Gen, Humor, Marauders' Era, Muggles, Television Watching
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-24
Updated: 2012-10-24
Packaged: 2017-11-16 23:35:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/545050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emcee/pseuds/Emcee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How James Potter Learned to Love Telly, Built a TARDIS and Won Lily Evans... Exactly what it says on the tin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	How James Potter Learned to Love Telly, Built a TARDIS and Won Lily Evans

James Potter was a pureblood wizard. He was from a very noble pureblood line. Oh, his family were not maniacal about it, not like some other- Slytherin- families. They had just never had the opportunity to marry any Muggles or Muggleborn wizards. Of course, when one only really spent time with other wizards the odds of your family being something other than Pureblood went down.

But James Potter- at the tender age of five- became interested in Muggle gadgets. To be exact, he became interested in one particular Muggle gadget.

"What's that?" James asked, hazel eyes becoming wide as he looked at the moving black and white picture coming from the box in the store window. He had been sure this was a Muggle store. Why did they have moving pictures?

Mrs Potter gripped tightly to her son's hand. "Hm. The sign says it's a..." She paused for a moment. "A teal-vision. Some sort of Muggle device for making moving pictures."

But even through the glass of the store, James could tell this was _more_ than just moving pictures. He could hear faint sounds of talking through the display. Unlike Wizard Portraits, they were real-live people, not paintings. And they weren't talking to the person outside, but to _each other_. Telling a story.

"I want one," James said quickly.

* * *

James Potter was an only child. James Potter was the apple of his parents' eyes. James Potter could be denied nothing. So when he made his pronouncement that he wanted a television, they took it to heart.

It was, of course, more complicated than just buying the television. It was Muggle and therefore electrical. The Potters were not equipped with electricity in their home. But James wanted it so badly and asked every night. So they found an electrician. Septimus Weasley from the Ministry had to come to their home and make sure nothing improper happened while they were wired with electricity. When the Electrician commented on how odd that it was a family had absolutely no electricity within their home, a quick memory charm had to be cast. But in the end, James Potter- as he always did- got what he wanted.

So on September 11th, 1965, James Potter got to watch his first television show. And as his glasses reflected the black and white images, he was absolutely transfixed by the adventures of the white haired man who went to other planets and fought robots.

* * *

In the passing years, James Potter would watch many different television shows. But there was only one he was always certain to watch. That was the man who could have been a wizard, who changed faces and had a blue box with an Undetectable Extension Charm.

When he was supposed to start school, he was absolutely sick with the idea that he wouldn't be able to watch his precious program. How could he _possibly_ miss what happened with the Doctor, the Master and Jo? He wanted to go to Hogwarts very badly, but The Doctor was _cool_.

At eleven years old, James Potter was too clever for his own good. He was also not afraid to break rules, especially one as stupid as underage wizards not doing magic. Or not enchanting Muggle objects.

While he'd become fast friends with his roommate, Sirius Black, Sirius didn't understand why James would run off to the library to read about Echo Charms or Potions to create moving photographs. Normally, James was not nearly this studious, but it was _important_.

Over Christmas holiday, James returned home. He casts the spells he needed to on the television, not for one moment fearful of the Ministry arresting him for bewitching a Muggle object. If they knew how wonderful the Doctor was, they would understand.

Besides, James Potter never got caught.

* * *

It was in their fourth year at school that Sirius discovered James' passion. He'd rowed with his mother over Christmas and come to stay at the Potters until the end of the holidays. He frowned and eyed the Muggle contraption James was riveted to. He'd seen it in James' room when he'd visited before, but he'd never seen it turned on.

"What in the name of Merlin is this?" Sirius asked, waving his hand in front of James' eyes, but unable to get his friend's attention.

"Shhh!" James hissed. "Just sit down, Sirius! I've got to decide if I like this new one!"

Sirius sat down with James on his bed, still not exactly certain what had his best friend so fascinated. "What's a 'Doctor'? Those two keep saying he's a doctor and he's a doctor..."

"It's a sort of Muggle Healer, but THE Doctor doesn't mean it like that... Oh, just watch, Sirius!" James loved being around Sirius, but it was very irritating at the moment, as he was interrupting the first time he was watching Doctor Who in months.

"Who's that?" Sirius asked.

James was very tempted to cast Silencio on Sirius, but he knew that would just get him beaten up (and he'd miss even more of the show). "That's Sarah Jane," James replied.

"She's hot," Sirius commented, finally setting down next to James to watch.

"Yeah." James nodded. "I know."

* * *

When school began again, Sirius couldn't keep his mouth shut for one minute regarding James' penchant for Muggle entertainment. Not that James was _ashamed_ of it. It was just his special thing. Peter had been surprised by this revelation, but seemed very interested in hearing Sirius' account of what had happened in the story.

Remus, however, was unfazed. He knew about Muggle things. Remus had a Muggle mother and his family owned a television, as well as a telephone and a rusty old car. He'd seen the show Sirius was talking about so animatedly. There was only one question Remus had about James' interest. "How do you watch Doctor Who, James? It's on while we're in school!"

James scoffed. "I was able to modify an echo charm and put it on my television so I can watch the shows when I get home during summer. It was _dead_ easy."

"You cast a charm? At home? On a Muggle device?" Remus went even paler than usual, but he didn't say anything. Remus never said anything about what James did, but he could tell that Remus disapproved.

James grinned at Remus. "Do you want to come to my place during the holidays and watch, Remus?"

* * *

During the following summer, the Marauders came over to work on their Animagus transformation. After they were finished for the evening, they would watch Doctor Who via the Echo Charm on James' television. While Remus didn't need to work on an Animagus transformation, he came all the same. He claimed it was to make sure the boys did not get themselves into too much trouble, but James had a suspicion he actually wanted to watch the stories of the funny, wizard-like man in the impossibly long scarf with the blue box.

By the next summer, they had perfected their Animagus transformation. Sirius had also moved in with the Potters. This gave the pair of Padfoot and Prongs quite a bit of time to come up with their next grand plan.

Remus and Peter stared at the big, blue box standing outside of the Potter's home.

"No." Remus shook his head. "Oh no."

"Isn't it beautiful, Moony?" James cried, patting the side of the Police Box.

"It's so big!" Peter said in awe. "It's so _big_ and... so _blue_."

Remus continued to shake his head. "You haven't, Prongs. No, no, no..."

"Oh, come on, Moony!" James was absolutely beaming. "The Muggles were going to bin it! Don't have use for Police Boxes anymore. So they gave it to me."

"They gave it to you?" Remus repeated.

The doors of the Police Box swung out and Sirius swaggered out. "With some persuasion..."

"How are you never caught?" Remus murmured.

"Can we go inside it?" Peter asked, peering behind Sirius.

"Of course you can, Wormtail!" James clapped Peter on the shoulder. "I'd be disappointed if you didn't!"

"Oh no," Remus whispered, but he followed his friends inside of the Police Box regardless.

"We've been working on it for weeks!" James said, throwing his arms out to properly present the large, white room to his friends. He tenderly patted the metal console. "But we did it! We made it bigger on the inside!"

"Undetectable Extension Charm," Sirius said with a smirk. "But it gets even better!"

Remus' hazel eyes grew very wide. "Oh don't say it..."

"It works!" James proudly proclaimed, puffing his chest out. "Look!" He pointed to the centre of the console. Both Peter and Remus peered inside.

"Where did you get one?" Peter asked in awe.

"Oh _Prongs_ …." Remus winced.

"I have my sources," James said slyly, looking in at the Time Turner encased within red plastic.

"What he means is Mungdungus sold it to him for a very reasonable price." Sirius barked out a laugh. "Well, reasonable for a controlled, rare object of immense power."

"We've had to tinker with it a bit," James admitted. "But it should work just fine. It should move backwards and forwards. And the reoccurring Portkey should allow us to travel to any place we want to go."

"We were waiting until you guys got here to test it out!" Sirius said.

"Cool!" Peter grinned.

Remus slowly backed out of the Police Box very slowly. He knew he wasn't going to be able to talk his friends out of testing their TARDIS... But he knew he didn't want to be anywhere near there.

* * *

About twenty minutes later, Remus watched as his friends- slightly singed- trudged out of the smoking Police Box.

"How did you know, Moony?" James asked before attempting to put out the small fire in his unruly hair. "How'd you know it wouldn't work?"

"You were trying to use cobbled together magic to create a flying Police Box which travels through time and space that you saw on a Muggle television show that is entirely filmed in quarries and abandoned hospitals." Remus arched an eyebrow. "Really, Prongs... What did you _think_ was going to happen?"

Sirius rubbed his sore neck, while Peter's robes were singed in the back. Sirius glared at James. "I knew this was a bad idea."

* * *

Even after it's disastrous first- and last- trip, James couldn't bear to get rid of his Police Box. He kept it in the back garden of the Potter home. After all, it wouldn't hurt anyone if it just _sat_ there. The Time Turner had been removed and most joyously crushed by Sirius and James. Remus carefully removed the Reoccuring Portkey charm despite not really understand what a 'Reoccuring Portkey' was supposed to _be_.

* * *

It was near the end of their sixth year that James became utterly and forever grateful to his love for the Muggle program about the mad man with the Blue Box. He was walking on the grounds of Hogwarts when he saw Lily Evans, clutching a piece of paper. She looked very teary-eyed.

"Evans?" James asked, approaching her slowly. "Is everything all right?"

Lily looked up suddenly. "Oh... I've just had a letter from my sister." She dashed away her tears.

James frowned slightly. He didn't know much about Lily's sister, other than she was a Muggle. "What did she say?"

"She just said something about seeing a very good serial of a television show we like," Lily sighed. "Tuney used to tell me absolutely everything that happened. And now... Now, she just sort of rubs it in my face that she's able to watch it and I can't, because I wanted to be a witch."

James looked down. He wasn't really sure what he was supposed to say in response.

"Television is sort of an electric moving portrait that tells a story," Lily explained, thinking he hadn't understood.

"I know what television is!" James said quickly. He paused for a moment. "Which television show?"

"Does it matter?" Lily asked, shaking her head.

"Just humour me," James said quietly, smiling softly.

"It's a daft program called Doctor Who. It's about-"

James was now beaming. "You like Doctor Who, Evans?" He cupped her face, causing her to go wide-eyed. "You are the most perfect woman ever."

Lily's eyes grew even wider. "You know Doctor Who, Potter?"

"Of course I know Doctor Who!" James pulled back and waved his hands in the air. "It's only the most fantastic, wonderful thing the Muggles have ever invented! I can't remember a time I didn't watch it! You know, I learned how to do magic on my television so I wouldn't miss episodes while I was away at school! You could come over and watch them during the break if your sister is so daft she won't tell you what happened."

"All right." Lily smiled shyly at James.

"Oh, it'd be better to see it anyway, Evans! It's always better to see it for yourself." James stopped his mad ranting to stare at Lily for a long moment. It wasn't uncommon for James' mouth to work much faster than his brain, but this was something he'd never expected. He didn't quite remember asking Lily to come to his house and if he had, he would never have expected her to take him up on the offer.

And that was how Doctor Who helped James Potter win the heart of Lily Evans.


End file.
